After nearly fourteen years of experience working for one of the largest law firms in the world, I founded the Blacha Law Office. My mission is to provide affordable and personalized representation to my... Read More »

Don is a passionate and enthusiastic problem solver who loves the intellectual challenges of family law from the initial consultation to the final agreement or judicial ruling. As an experienced divorce... Read More »

Mr. Shaw attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and graduated from Illinois College, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1983. He continued his education at the Northern Illinois University College of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1986, and became a Licensed Attorney in Illinois on November 6, 1986.
Having previously practiced in general and family law practices, and having served as the Child Support Attorney for Kane County Circuit Court Clerk from 1987-1995,
Mr. Shaw opened his own law practice concentrating in family law in 1991. In 2000 he co-founded the law firm...

Robert Motta II is the Managing Partner at Motta & Motta LLC. He concentrates his law practice in criminal defense, DUI, divorce & family law. Robert was named 2014 Top 100 National Trial Lawyer and is known in the legal community for his unparalleled pre-trial and trial strategies.

I have been practicing law since 2001. I graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in May of 2001 and from DePaul University in June of 1996. My main area of concentration is family law, i.e., divorce, paternity, child support, allocation of parental responsibilities (formerly known as custody) and adoption. As a family law attorney, I understand that my clients have to make difficult decisions while dealing with complex issues and emotions. As such, I believe that the key to successful representation depends not only in understanding the underlying issues, but, also in experience and expertise in the law...

Rachel Hernandez began her career with the Community Crisis Center in 1999 and now serves on their Board of Directors. The center is a not for profit domestic violence shelter and social service agency in Elgin. Rachel has a passion for helping others and community building and attended NIU College of Law committed to pursuing those goals.After graduating, she served as an assistant state's attorney handling a variety of criminal and civil matters in Boone and Winnebago Counties, with a particular passion for seeking justice for children and victims of violent crimes. As an assistant state's attorney, she managed a...

Julia A. Pucci, managing partner with Pucci Pirtle, focuses her practice in the areas of divorce and custody litigation. Ms. Pucci attended Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois where she received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Sociology and Political Science. Ms. Pucci subsequently earned her Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. During her law school career, Julia taught legal research and writing as a teaching assistant and was also active in the mediation clinic where she obtained her mediation certification. As a certified mediator, she mediated court-ordered child custody matters and...

William ("Bill") F. Bochte is a graduate of Fenwick High School, obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary's University (formerly Saint Mary's College) in Winona, Minnesota in 1965. Bill went on to receive his Juris Doctor degree from The John Marshall Law School in 1969 and has been in the private practice of law serving his client's needs ever since. Mr. Bochte practiced in the city of Chicago for approximately 10 years before relocating to Kane County and the Fox Valley area. Mr. Bochte has received a United States of America Presidential Commendation in "recognition of exceptional...

Tricia knew she wanted to be an attorney when she was 10 years old - being an attorney seemed glamorous and exciting. It was not until college, when Tricia was selected for Eastern Illinois University's mock trial time, that she realized how much she would enjoy litigation and courtroom work. After being accepted to the John Marshall Law School with a Dean's Scholarship, she added excellent writing skills to her love of working in the courtroom, winning the Dean Fred F. Herzog Moot Court Competition. Tricia was awarded a Moot Court Executive Board scholarship and went on to...

Steven N. Peskind has reinvented Illinois Family Law. Mr. Peskind believes that a successful divorce results from the intersection of three competencies: legal skill, positive decision making, and financial analysis. As a result, he has compiled a team of highly trained professionals dedicated to helping our clients achieve that success. The lawyers at Peskind Law Firm are skilled negotiators, legal analysts, problem solvers and courtroom advocates. Mr. Peskind is one of only 100 lawyers in the nation elected as a Diplomate to the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, an honor society reflecting accomplishments in Family...

When hiring an attorney you need to have someone on your side that concentrates their practice in one or two areas of law. I concentrate my practice in representing those charged with criminal and traffic offenses, family law, and litigation.

Lisa M. Nyuli has been a partner since joining the firm of Ariano Hardy Ritt Nyuli Richmond Lytle & Goettel P.C. in 2000. Prior to joining the firm, for the first 10 years of her career, she worked as an attorney in Aurora, Illinois and in Geneva, Illinois. She was licensed in 1989 and focuses her practice primarily in all areas of family law. In 2008, she became a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Ms. Nyuli is also active in the Illinois State Bar Association as a member, having served two terms on the Board of Governors, and...

I have been a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois since 2003. I began my legal career as a an Assistant State's Attorney in the County of Kendall, State of Illinois. In 2007 I opened my private practice and have successfully represented hundreds of clients in matters ranging from criminal defense to various family law issues, including divorce.
I have a unique perspective in criminal defense from my experience in criminal prosecution. I believe that in order to successfully represent client's in criminal and family law matters one must know what the available options are, have a very thorough...

Michael Navigato, a 1986 graduate of Addison Trail High School, received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Loyola University, Chicago in 1990. Thereafter, Mr. Navigato attended law school at Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law where he earned his law degree with distinction. He began his practice as a sole practitioner in November 1993 and in August 1994, he became an associate in the law firm of Laraia & Hubbard, P.C. in Wheaton, Illinois, In February 2003, Michael joined his current partners, William Bochte and Theodore Kuzniar where he has been practicing to the present date. In...

Mr. Kuzniar is a member of the Illinois State and Kane County Bar Associations where he has been a frequent lecturer. He was recently honored by the Kane County Bar Association for 30 years of service to the profession and membership in the Association. Mr. Kuzniar is licensed to practice in the Illinois state, appellate and Supreme Courts, as well as the United States Federal District Court, and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, he is licensed to practice in the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Kuzniar was chosen by the Supreme Court of the...

Serving DuPage, Kane, Kendall & Will counties. Practice focused on domestic relations law: family law, divorce, separation, maintenance (alimony), custody, child support, domestic violence, pre-post-and ante-nuptial agreements.
I began my law career clerking then interning with the Kane County State's Attorney's Office (2001-2003) then since passing the bar I have focused my attention on family law.
Prior to law school I worked as a child advocate for abused and neglected children in Addison Illinois (1996-2000). From 1995-1996 I worked with the elderly population in an in-patient Alzheimer's/Dementia facility in Arlington Heights.

Licensed to practice law under the Illinois State Bar since 1973, and the DuPage County Bar since 2003, Attorney John F. Martoccio is now a managing partner at Martoccio and Martoccio in DuPage County, Illinois. The law firm focuses on providing high quality legal advice from a team of caring family law and personal injury lawyers who treat their clients with respect. He was recently named in an article in the Illinois Trial Court Divorce Digest. He represented a stay at home mother of two who was married in 2005 in her divorce. She had no assets and spoke...

Mr. Shore is acutely aware that when an individual contacts Mevorah Law Offices LLC about a legal problem, that for the client it is also a personal problem. In addition to litigating or negotiating settlements in many major cases, Mr. Shore is a skilled listener who is adept at developing and implementing cost effective and winning strategies. Mr. Shore represents divorce and parentage clients in settlement negotiations, pre-trials, hearings, and trials. Mr. Shore is also appointed by the Court to represent minors in custody proceedings. As an appointed guardian for the children (referred to as a Guardian Ad Litem...

Mark D. Brent is a native of Aurora. He graduated with honors (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Illinois in 1988, and the University of Illinois College Of Law in 1991. Mark spent several years doing major tort and insurance litigation with Williams and Montgomery in Chicago. He began his focus on Domestic Relations and Family Law in 1997 in Aurora. Mark is well-versed in all areas of family law, and family law is Mark's primary focus. Mark is an aggressive advocate for family law clients, handling all types of cases, with a focus on high-conflict issues, custody...

Attorney Gbenga Longe brings an excellent record of effective and aggressive representation. No matter the issue, she will fight for her clients and ensure that their rights are protected. As a former... Read More »

Upon graduating from law school, Mr. Tabor was first employed as a criminal prosecutor and subsequently as an assistant public defender where he conducted numerous hearings and trials, both bench and jury. Practicing on both sides of criminal law gave Mr. Tabor a unique perspective on analyzing factual scenarios in an objective manner. In 2000, he began practicing Family Law on a full time basis and has remained doing so ever since. In 2003 he founded Tabor Law Offices, and since that time he has become an experienced family law practitioner and mediator. Mr. Tabor...

Otto S. Hurtado is an experienced family law attorney. He is certified as a Family Law Mediator and Guardian ad Litem. Mr. Hurtado is a Graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and earned his Juris Doctorate from Northern Illinois, College of Law. Mr. Hurtado is actively involved in the Kane County Bar Association, participating in various activities such as, Ask A Lawyer Day, Lawyer in the Library, volunteer Judge for Mock Trial Competitions, and as a participate the Guardian Ad Litem training. Mr. Hurtado understands that no two cases are alike, and believes in tailoring services specifically for...

Kane County lawyer, Susan D. Shivers, has been practicing law for over 27 years. Susan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University (with a double major in Psychology and English) and her Law degree, with Honors, from The John Marshall Law School. Susan is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Stephany L. Impson received her law degree from the University of Illinois. In addition, she has an MBA with emphases in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern University, is a certified Illinois Administrative Adjudicator, and has been appointed a mediator by the Illinois Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court. For over three decades, Stephany worked in the title insurance industry. For much of that time, she was a national underwriting counsel. In that capacity, she underwrote and closed transactions for properties located in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. In the...

Julie M. Pirtle has been a partner at Pucci Pirtle since our formation in April of 2013. Ms. Pirtle began her career as an attorney at Schwarz & Pucci, LLC with Attorney Julia Pucci. She concentrates her practice in the areas of family law, including divorce and custody matters, and residential real estate transactions. Ms. Pirtle graduated cum laude from Northern Illinois College of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Northern Illinois University. During law school, Ms. Pirtle was active in the Dooley Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, serving as the vice...

Brad Cahow has been practicing law in Kane, Dekalb, McHenry, DuPage, Cook, Will and nearby counties since 1981. Brad provides legal services in the following areas: REAL ESTATE LAW Brad has represented several thousand real estate clients in residential sales and purchases. He prepares contracts and provides title insurance services. His experience also includes loan modifications, short sales, and landlord tenant dispute. FAMILY LAW Brad has...

I am an experienced litigator, having devoted my practice to family law for the last thirty-five years. Earlier in my career I focused on criminal defense, including organized crime cases. I am licensed in... Read More »

Kelly L. Petersen is a licensed attorney specializing in the areas of divorce, post-decree issues, child and spousal support, custody, paternity, visitation, pre-marital agreements, and domestic violence/ orders of protection in Cook, Kane, McHenry and Lake Counties. While in law school at DePaul University College of Law, Ms. Petersen earned a certificate in Public Interest Law and received a CALI Award for the highest grade in Comparative Family Law for her dissertation on the enforcement of religious pre-marital agreements. Ms. Petersen joined Anderson & Associates, P.C. in 2012 and was hired on as an associate attorney in 2013....

Experience, integrity and flexibility form the backbone of my client oriented practice in Cook and DuPage Counties. My twelve years of negotiating, mediating, trials and appeals, inform my opinion of your case, and from our initial consultation onward, you always receive an honest assessment of the likely outcome. I strive for innovative solutions to your issues, minimizing expense and grief, strategizing to let you retain control over the results, while always being ready to "go all the way". Throughout, I will always be accessible to you and bill you fairly, tailoring payment options to your circumstances. About Me: ...

Lisa M. Giese is a licensed attorney working out of the Wheaton office in DuPage County. Lisa specializes in divorce, probate and bankruptcy law in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and surrounding collar counties. Lisa has handled a variety of cases involving contested and uncontested divorce, child support, paternity, visitation, chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy, loan modifications, creditor negotiations, estate planning and probate administration. While in law school, Lisa focused her studies in family law and earned her certificate in Child and Family Law upon graduation.
Lisa is a trained Guardian ad Litem with the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court and has...

Robert J. Boszko (“Bob”) began his career at Anderson & Associates, P.C. in 2002 as a law clerk and was hired as an associate attorney in 2004. Bob practices primarily out of the firm's Schaumburg (Cook County) office where his practice is focused on complex financial divorce and custody disputes. Bob’s comprehensive understanding of various areas of law including, Tax Law, Business Transactions and Planning, Real Estate Transactions, and Estate Planning and Administration, provide him the foundation and creativity to resolve complicated divorce and child custody disputes. Bob utilizes compassion and his background in psychology to counsel his client’s...

Admitted to practice law in 1982, Maureen Sullivan Taylor graduated with a J.D. from Northern Illinois University Law School. In addition to interning at the United States' Attorneys' Office, Maureen was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Matrimonial Law and also served on the Law Review. Founder of the firm, Maureen is a trained and experienced mediator, and is both a Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois and a member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals. Maureen is admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the Northern District of Illinois Federal Court and...

Kasia Malkinska Naugle is an experienced attorney that practices in a variety of areas of law including: Divorce, Family Law, Abuse and Neglect, Juvenile Delinquency, Domestic Violence, and Criminal Law. She is based in the Wheaton office of Anderson & Associates, P.C., and handles cases primarily in DuPage County, Cook County, Kane County and Will County. Mrs. Naugle’s legal career began as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Office of the DuPage County State’s Attorney. Mrs. Naugle was part of the prosecutorial team working alongside the State’s Attorney in the highly publicized sentencing of Brian Dugan, a convicted serial...

Donald J. Cosley has practiced law since 1994 and is admitted to practice in Illinois, the U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Donald Cosley assisted many clients in divorce and related family law, criminal defense, DUI, traffic violations, and drivers' license reinstatements. He prides himself on his firm's ability to provide aggressive and personable service to clients from all walks of life. Mr. Cosley belongs to several professional associations. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers....

Sharon R. Mulyk is a partner with Mulyk, Laho & Mack, LLC, where her practice is concentrated in family law and collections. Sharon is an active member of the DuPage County Bar Association, where she served as the President from 2012-2013. Sharon has also served, by appointment, as the DCBA Associate Counsel, Chairman of the Family Law Committee Chairman for the Membership Committee, Judiciary Committee, Planning Committee, CLE Committee and has volunteered her time to act as a Judicial Intervention Leader. She is the Past President of the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers and Past President of the DuPage...

Jane E. Nagle is a licensed attorney with a concentration in the practice areas of divorce and family law as well as bankruptcy and debtors’ rights in DuPage, Cook, Will, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Lake and... Read More »

If a person wishes to terminate his or her marriage, he or she may file for a divorce. In a divorce proceeding, the court will terminate the marriage and determine the rights and responsibilities of the divorcing parties regarding child custody, child visitation, child support and spousal support (alimony). The court will also redistribute marital assets.

Depending on where you reside and where your assets are, the division of property can be a very simple or very complex process. Disputes often arise during this phase of a divorce if the two parties disagree as to who should receive which assets or property.

Finding a divorce lawyer who is experienced and reliable can reduce your stress and help you make the best choices possible. A good divorce lawyer should be a problem solver who is skilled at negotiation and possesses a solid trial background. If both parties are open to alternative dispute resolution, such as arbitration or mediation, finding a lawyer experienced in collaborative divorce or divorce mediation would be beneficial.

Divorce lawyers also handle child custody issues, including multi-state and international child custody situations. Some divorce lawyers may be certified by their states as being family law specialists. Certification often requires that a lawyer meet certain experience and educational criteria.

Legal Custody:
A parent with legal custody has the right to decide on the child's upbringing, education, and medical care. A court may grant legal custody to one parent (sole legal custody) or both parents (joint legal custody).

Separate Property:
Property acquired before marriage or during the marriage as a gift or inheritance, or bought during marriage with separate property.